


Artax & Replica: A World to Love

by ElReyCiervo



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Bonds, Commission fic, Creator and Creation, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Fantasy, Gen, Mentions of Alchemy, POV Third Person Limited, Science Fiction, that moment when you notice your friend is Amazing, wonder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23449495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElReyCiervo/pseuds/ElReyCiervo
Summary: Replica is still trying to figure the world out, what with being a brand new Artifact to come into existence. Many things still confuse them--like, what was a 'cat'?--and they don't grasp every concept they are met with, but one thing makes every day easier. Their Artificer is there every day, pointing out all the wonderful things in the world. But, Replica does not believe Artax has taken a good look at herself. If she did, would she not see she herself is amazing?[OR]Artax spiels about how beautiful and lovely the world is, giving Replica a moment of breathlessness by how stunning her excitement is.
Relationships: Artax & Replica, Original Character & Original Character, Replica & Artax
Kudos: 1





	Artax & Replica: A World to Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chromaticdrip](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=chromaticdrip).



> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Artax or Replica! They are two amazing characters by @chromaticdrip on Twitter who commissioned me to write them this fic! Thanks for letting me write these lovelies!
> 
> Words: 1080
> 
> Warnings: none

Today was a rarity.

Replica could tell even as they resided in their artifact brooch. So used to seeing their Artificer, Artax, hustling and bustling around her lab, it was rare yet odd to see—and feel—her so calm. 

As they were in such close proximity to both their artifact brooch and Artificer, Replica was able to sense and view their surroundings with great clarity. They could feel the rise and fall of Artax’s chest as she breathed and could feel the warmth of the steam from the Artificer’s tea as it wafted over the gem of Replica’s artifact brooch.

Artax was idly brushing her finger on the silver embossing surrounding the gem of Replica’s artifact brooch. The brooch helped to pin the Artificer’s bright white lab coat to her clothing—a preventative against it flapping around wildly during the kickback of energy created in her experiments. Whenever Artax brushed her brown fingers against the metal, Replica could feel the bond between them even more prominently. Although lacking a physical body per se, physical connection between Artifact and Artificer heightened the bond between them.

The gentle back and forth of the rocking chair Artax was sitting in was making pleasant creaking as Artax slowly tipped her body with the motion. Replica had never heard the noise of a rocking chair before, so it piqued their interest.

How curious.

“Hey, Replica,” Artax spoke aloud into the empty lab.

“Yes?” The Arifact spoke. If another being had been in this room, they would have assumed Artax was a touch crazy to speak to herself. After all, no one but Artax could hear Replica while they were in their brooch.

The Artificer took a moment before speaking again. She had been looking out the window for a while now, but Replica could not tell what was grabbing her attention. Finally after taking another sip of her tea, she said, “I almost forgot what the flowers outside looked like.”

Replica could not understand this. There could be no way the memory of the flowers could have escaped her. Surely, she was not ill? She had displayed no symptoms of such at any point within the last few days. There was nothing wrong with Atax’s brain, no injury that could result in memory loss.

They sent a pulse of curiosity and confusion through the brooch.

Their Artificer knew them well enough to clarify. “I don’t mean it literally.”

“How do you mean it, then?”

“Creator above,” she breathed a laugh as she shook her head. “You know, I’ve been cooped up in the sealed off section of my lab for almost two weeks. Alchemy isn’t easy, sad to say. And now, looking out this window, I’d forgotten simply how wonderful this place is! The yard has just so much life teeming in it. I swear, I think I even saw a stray cat sleeping on a rock.”

That did not clarify anything.

_And what is a ‘cat’?_

“Your yard?” Replica inquired. “Of course the yard is top quality. As you have told me in the past, you designed it.”

Artax snorted, but did not say anything after for a while. There was a comfortable quiet that fell between them despite Replica’s confusion. There was no clock in Replica’s direct field of vision, but they knew a decent amount of time had passed from the sun now streaming directly through the window onto Artax instead of just at the edge of the window frame. The sunlight was strong and warm against their artifact brooch. “I know it’s difficult to understand what to make of the world since you are my newest Artifact, but I hope you’ll see what I see soon enough, my dear Replica.”

Replica sent a pulse, wanting to hear more of what Artax had to say.

Artax set down her now empty mug of tea on the table next to her. She then unpinned the brooch off her lab coat—sending Replica into the smallest moment of panic before they realized they were just being moved—and cupped it in her hands. The gem faced Artax, so Replica had a full view of Artax’s face. “You’ve only seen a mere fraction of what the world has to offer, being in this dim ol’ lab with me. There’s just so much I wish to show you! Animals and waterfalls, dragons and mages…” The glow in her deep brown eyes radiated with enthusiasm and wonder. Whatever else she was saying was lost on Replica because the Artifact was stunned by the speed of her excitement and the wideness of her smile.

She turned around the brooch to once again face the window so Replica could get a better vantage. “I mean, just look at the cluster of flowers over there by the puddle. The dew clinging to them…it looks like little diamonds holding onto burning tongues of sunrays. The puddle from last night’s rain is absolutely sparkling with light, almost as if someone sprinkled glitter into it. The big snail over there,” she pointed to what seemed to be a shell on a squiggly thing, “is making its way under the shade of those flowers to get out of the sun for a while. It’s slow and not especially pretty, but it lives in the yard and does its own thing. I’ve been watching it for a few months now and I’ve noticed it likes the yellow flowers especially.” She turned the brooch again, and if Replica had needed to breathe while in this form, the breath would have been stolen right out of their body…

“Little things like that are such a delight!” Her smile, her joy…

 _You speak with such praise about the beauty of the world, but how have you not noticed what a brightness you are to this world?_ Replica was not in love with their Artificer, did not even know what the emotion of love _was_ , but they could understand the gift that Artax was. A brilliant mind and a kind heart, a being who appreciated the ‘little things’ in life. Replica was a fairly new Artifact, but despite lacking the experience their other fellow Artifacts possessed, they could tell Artax was truly one of a kind. 

They took another glance outside the window. The Artifact had a long way to go to understand the nature of the world, complicated and vast as it was.

But…with a person like Artax guiding them, maybe it would not be so hard.

* * *

 **Published** : 4/2/2020

 **A/N 1** : Go check out [**chromaticdrip**](https://twitter.com/chromaticdrip)! They're really cool and so are their characters!

 **A/N 2:** I'm pretty active on [**twitter**](https://twitter.com/el_rey_ciervo) and [**tumblr**](https://elreyciervo.tumblr.com/) if you wanna check out my stuff. I am also open for writing commissions, so message me if you are interested!


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